Lectio 6 Lecture 6 Promissio Abrahae Promise to Abraham ^3:15 Fratres (secundum hominem dico) tamen hominis confirmatum testamentum nemo spernit, aut superordinat. [n. 153] ^3:15 Brethren (I speak after the manner of man), yet a man’s testament, if it be confirmed, no man despises nor adds to it. [n. 153] ^3:16 Abrahae dictae sunt promissiones, et semini ejus. Non dicit: et seminibus, quasi in multis: sed quasi in uno: et semini tuo, qui est Christus. [n. 156] ^3:16 To Abraham were the promises made, and to his seed. He does not say: and to his seeds as of many. But as of one: and to your seed, which is Christ. [n. 156] ^3:17 Hoc autem dico, testamentum confirmatum a Deo: quae post quadringentos et triginta annos facta est lex, non irritum facit ad evacuandam promissionem. [n. 159] ^3:17 Now this I say: that the testament which was confirmed by God, the law which was made after four hundred and thirty years does not disannul, to make the promise of no effect. [n. 159] ^3:18 Nam si ex lege haereditas, jam non ex promissione. Abrahae autem per repromissionem donavit Deus. [n. 161] ^3:18 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise. But God gave it to Abraham by promise. [n. 161] 153. Postquam Apostolus probavit per auctoritates, quod lex non iustificat, nec ad iustificationem, quae est per fidem, est necessaria, hic consequenter ostendit idem per rationes humanas. Et 153. Having proved by authority that the law does not justify and is not necessary for justification, which is through faith, the Apostle then proves the same point with human reasons. circa hoc quatuor facit. Concerning this he does four things. Primo humanam consuetudinem ponit; First, he mentions a human custom; secundo assumit promissionem divinam, ibi Abrahae dictae sunt promissiones, etc.; second, he touches on a divine promise, at to Abraham were the promises made; tertio infert conclusionem, ibi hoc autem dico, etc.; third, he draws his conclusion, at now this I say; quarto ostendit conclusionem sequi ex praemissis, ibi nam si ex lege, et cetera. fourth, he shows that the conclusion follows from the premises, at for if the inheritance is of the law. 154. Dicit ergo: aperte quidem prius locutus sum secundum auctoritatem Scripturae non allatae voluntate humana, sed Spiritu Sancto, ut dicitur II Petr. I, 21; sed nunc secundum hominem dico, et secundum ea quae humana ratio et consuetudo habet. 154. He says therefore: it is clear that up to now I have been speaking according to the authority of Scripture, which came not by the will of man, but by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet 1:21). But now I speak after the manner of man and after the manners which human reason and human custom follow. Ex quo quidem habemus argumentum, quod ad conferendum de his quae sunt fidei, possumus uti quacumque veritate cuiuscumque scientiae. Deut. XXI, 11: si videris in numero captivorum mulierem pulchram, et adamaveris eam, voluerisque habere in uxorem, introduces eam in domum tuam, id est, si sapientia et scientia saecularis placuerit tibi, introduces eam intra terminos tuos, quae radet caesariem, etc., id est, resecabit omnes sensus erroneos. Here, indeed, we have an argument to show that in discussions bearing on faith, we may use any truth of any science: if you see in the number of the captives a beautiful woman and love her and will have her to wife, you shall bring her into your house, i.e., if you are pleased with worldly wisdom and science, bring it within your boundaries, and she shall shave her hair, and pare her nails (Deut 21:11), i.e., you shall cut away all erroneous opinions. Et inde est quod Apostolus in multis locis in epistolis suis utitur auctoritatibus gentilium, sicut illud I Cor. XV, 33: corrumpunt bonos mores, etc., et illud Tit. I, 11: Cretenses malae bestiae, et cetera. This is why in many places in his epistles the Apostle uses the authority of the gentiles; for example: evil communications corrupt good manners (1 Cor 15:33), and the Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, slothful bellies (Titus 1:12). 155. Vel quamvis huiusmodi rationes vanae sint et infirmae, quia, ut dicitur in Ps. XCIII, 11: Dominus scit cogitationes hominum, quoniam vanae sunt; tamen hominis confirmatum testamentum nemo spernit aut superordinat, quia nihil humanum tantam firmitatem habet sicut ultima voluntas hominis; sperneret autem illud aliquis, si diceret quod testamentum hominis confirmatum morte testatoris et testibus non valeret. Si ergo testamentum huiusmodi nemo spernit, dicens non esse servandum, aut spernit, aliquid mutando; multo magis testamentum Dei nullus spernere debet aut superordinare, infringendo illud, vel addendo vel diminuendo. Apoc. ult.: si quis apposuerit ad haec, apponet Deus super illum plagas scriptas in isto libro, et si quis diminuerit de verbis prophetiae huius, auferet Deus partem eius, et cetera. Deut. IV, 2: non addetis ad verbum, quod vobis loquor, neque auferetis ex eo, et cetera. 155. Or: although such reasons be fruitless and weak, because, as it is said: the Lord knows the thoughts of men, that they are vain (Ps 93:11), yet a man’s testament, if it be confirmed, no one despises nor adds to it, because nothing human has as much power to bind as a man’s last will. But someone would be scorning it if he were to say that a man’s will, confirmed by his death and by witnesses, had no validity. Therefore, if no one scorns a testament of this kind by saying that it should not be heeded or by modifying it, much less may anyone scorn the testament of God or modify it and weaken it by adding or removing anything: if any man shall add to these things, God shall add unto him the plagues written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life (Rev 22:18); you shall not add to the word that I speak to you, neither shall you take away from it (Deut 4:2). 156. Consequenter cum dicit Abrahae dictae sunt promissiones, etc., assumit promissionem divinam Abrahae factam, quae est quasi quoddam testamentum Dei. Et 156. Then when he says, to Abraham were the promises made, he takes up the promise God made to Abraham, which is, as it were, the testament of God. primo exponit hanc promissionem seu testamentum; First, he explains this promise or testament; secundo vero aperit veritatem testamenti, ibi non dicit: et seminibus, et cetera. second, he discloses the truth contained therein, at he does not say: ‘and to his seeds’. 157. Dicit ergo primo Abrahae dictae sunt promissiones, quasi dicat: sicut testamentum hominis est firmum, ita promissiones divinae firmae sunt. Sed numquid Deus aliquas promissiones fecit ante legem? Utique, quia Abrahae, qui fuit ante legem, scilicet quod non falleret Deus, dictae, id est, factae sunt promissiones, et semini eius a Deo. Sed Abrahae factae sunt, ut cui erant implendae, semini vero, ut per quod implerentur. 157. He says therefore: to Abraham were the promises made. As if to say: as the testament of a man is valid, so the divine promises are valid. But did God make any promises before the law? He did; because to Abraham who lived before the time of the law the promises were made, and to his seed, by God. However, they were made to Abraham as the one for whom they would be fulfilled, and to his seed as the one through whom they would be fulfilled. Dicit autem promissiones pluraliter, quia promissio de benedicendo semine multa continebat. Vel quia frequenter idem, id est, aeterna beatitudo sibi promissa est, sicut Gen. c. XII, 3, in te benedicentur universae cognationes terrae; item XV, 5, suscipe caelum, et numera stellas, etc.; item eodem: semini tuo dabo terram hanc, etc.; item XXII, 18: benedicam tibi et multiplicabo semen tuum sicut stellas caeli. And he says, promises, using the plural, because the promise that his seed would be blessed contained a number of things: or because the same thing, namely, eternal happiness, was promised to him on a number of occasions. For example, in you shall all the kindred of the earth be blessed (Gen 12:3); look up to heaven and number the stars if you can. And he said to him: so shall your seed be (Gen 15:5). Again: to your seed will I give this land (Gen 15:18); I will bless you and I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven (Gen 22:17). Istae ergo promissiones sunt quasi testamentum Dei, quia est quaedam ordinatio de haereditate danda Abrahae et semini suo. These promises then, are God’s testament, as it were, i.e., a decree concerning the inheritance to be given to Abraham and his seed. 158. Veritatem autem testamenti aperit, cum dicit non dicit: et seminibus, et cetera. Quam quidem aperit eodem spiritu quo testamentum conditum est. Et hoc patet ex verbis testamenti. Non, inquit, dicit et seminibus, quasi in multis, id est, sicut faceret, si de multis illud valeret, sed quasi in uno, quod est Christus, quia ipse solus est per quem et in quo omnes poterunt benedici. Nam ipse solus et singularis est, qui non subiacet maledictioni culpae, etsi maledictio pro nobis dignatus sit fieri. Unde dicitur in Ps. CXL, 10: singulariter sum ego, et cetera. Item: non est qui faciat bonum, et cetera. Eccle. VII, 29: virum de mille unum reperi, scilicet Christum, qui esset sine omni peccato, mulierem autem ex omnibus non inveni, quae omnino a peccato immunis esset, ad minus originali, vel veniali. 158. The meaning of this testament he explains when he says, he does not say: ‘and to his seeds’, as of many; but as of one: ‘and to your seed’. He explains this according to the very spirit in which the testament was made. And this is obvious from the words of the testament: he does not say: ‘and to his seeds’, as of many, i.e., as he would do, if it were valid for many: but as of one: ‘and to your seed’, which is Christ, because he is the only one through whom and in whom all could be blessed. For he alone and exclusively is the one who does not lie under the curse of guilt, in spite of the fact that he deigned to be made a curse for us. Hence it is said, I am alone until I pass (Ps 141:10); and again there is none that does good, no, not one (Ps 13:3); one man among a thousand I have found (namely, Christ, who had been without any sin), a woman among them all I have not found (Eccl 7:29), who would be entirely immune from all sin, at least original or venial. 159. Conclusionem autem infert consequenter cum dicit hoc autem dico: testamentum, etc., ubi videamus per ordinem quid sit quod dicit. 159. Then when he says, now this I say: that the testament, he draws his conclusion. Here let us see, in order, what it is that he says. Dicit ergo, quod hoc promisit Deus Abrahae, sed hoc est testamentum, scilicet ista promissio de haereditate adipiscenda. Ier. XXXI, 31: feriam domui Israel et domui Iuda foedus novum, et cetera. Confirmatum, quod ideo ponit, ut concordet cum praemissis. Nam supra dixerat testamentum hominis confirmatum, et cetera. A Deo, scilicet qui promisit. Et confirmatum dico iureiurando. Gen. XXII, 16: per memetipsum iuravi, etc., Hebr. VI, 18: ut per duas res immobiles quibus impossibile est mentiri Deum, et cetera. Hoc, inquam, testamentum lex non facit irritum, quae quidem lex facta est, et data a Deo per Moysen. Io. I, 17: lex per Moysen data est, etc., post quadringentos et triginta, et cetera. Et quasi exponens quod dixerat, subiungit non irritum facit ad evacuandam promissionem. Sic enim irritum fieret praedictum testamentum, si promissio facta Abrahae evacuaretur, id est, in vacuum facta esset, quasi non sufficeret semen Abrahae repromissum ad gentium benedictionem. Per Christum autem non sunt evacuatae promissiones patribus factae, sed confirmatae. Rom. XV, 8: dico Iesum Christum ministrum fuisse circumcisionis, ad confirmandas promissiones patrum. Et II Cor. c. I, 20: quotquot enim promissiones Dei sunt, in illo est, et cetera. He says therefore that this is what God promised to Abraham. But this is a testament, i.e., a promise that he would obtain an inheritance: I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah (Jer 31:31). He says, confirmed, in keeping with what he said before. For he said above, a man’s testament, if it be confirmed, no man despises nor adds to it. By God, i.e., by the one who promised. The testament was confirmed, namely, with an oath: by my own self have I sworn (Gen 22:16); that by two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have the strongest comfort (Heb 6:18). This testament, I say, the law does not disannul: the law, namely, which was made and given by God through Moses: for the law was given through Moses (John 1:17) after four hundred thirty years. Then, as if to explain what he had said, he adds, does not disannul, to make the promise of no effect. For the aforesaid testament would have been disannulled if the promise made to Abraham were set aside, i.e., made fruitless, as though the seed promised to Abraham were not enough to bless the gentiles. But as a matter of fact, the promises made to the patriarchs were not set aside by Christ but confirmed: for I say that Christ Jesus was minister of the circumcision to confirm the promises made unto the fathers (Rom 15:8); for all the promises of God are in him (2 Cor 1:20). Hoc autem quod dicitur post quadringentos et triginta annos, concordat ei quod habetur Ex. XII, 40: habitatio filiorum Israel, qua manserunt in Aegypto, fuit quadringentorum triginta annorum. Et Act. VII, 6: locutus est dominus, scilicet Abrahae, quia erit semen eius accola in terra aliena, et servituti eos subiicient annis quadringentis triginta. After four hundred thirty years: this concords with Exodus: the abode of the children of Israel that they made in Egypt was four hundred thirty years (Exod 12:40), and with Acts: and God said to him, i.e., to Abraham, that his seed should sojourn in a strange country and that they shall bring them under bondage four hundred thirty years (Acts 7:6). 160. Sed contra est quod dicitur Gen. c. XV, 13: scito praenoscens, quod peregrinum futurum sit semen tuum, et servituti eos subiicient, et affligent eos annis quadringentis. 160. But against this, it is said: know before that your seed shall be a stranger in a land not their own, and they shall bring them under bondage and afflict them four hundred years (Gen 15:13). Respondeo. Dicendum quod si fiat computatio annorum a prima promissione facta Abrahae, quae legitur Gen. XII, usque ad exitum filiorum Israel de Aegypto, quando data est lex, sic sunt anni quadringenti triginta, sicut hic scribitur, et Ex. XII, et Act. c. VII. Si autem incipiat computatio a nativitate Isaac de qua legitur Gen. XXI, sic sunt tantum quadringenti et quinque anni. Nam viginti quinque anni fuerunt a promissione facta Abrahae usque ad nativitatem Isaac. Abraham enim erat septuaginta quinque annorum quando exivit de terra sua, et facta est ei prima promissio, ut habetur Gen. XII. Centenarius autem fuit, quando natus est Isaac, ut habetur ibidem cap. XXI. Quod autem a nativitate Isaac usque ad exitum filiorum Israel de Aegypto fuerint quadringenti quinque anni, probatur per hoc, quod Isaac fuit sexaginta annorum quando genuit Iacob, ut habetur Gen. XXV; Iacob autem erat centum triginta annorum quando intravit Aegyptum, ut habetur Gen. XXVII. Et sic a nativitate Isaac usque ad introitum Iacob in Aegyptum fuerunt centum nonaginta anni. Ioseph autem fuit triginta annorum, quando stetit coram Pharaone, ut habetur Gen. XLI. Et postea transierunt septem anni fertilitatis et duo sterilitatis, usque ad ingressum Iacob in Aegyptum, ut habetur XLV. Vixit autem Ioseph centum et decem annis, ut habetur Gen. ult. A quibus si subtrahantur triginta novem anni, remanent septuaginta et unus annus. Fuerunt ergo a nativitate Isaac usque ad mortem Ioseph ducenti et sexaginta unus annus. Fuerunt autem in Aegypto filii Israel post mortem Ioseph centum quadraginta quatuor annis, ut Rabanus dicit in Glossa. Fuerunt ergo a nativitate Isaac usque ad exitum filiorum Israel de Aegypto et legem datam quadringenti et quinque anni; Scriptura autem non curavit de minutis. I answer that if you count the years between the first promise made to Abraham (Gen 12), and the exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt, when the law was given, there will be four hundred thirty years, as is written here and in Exodus (Exod 12) and Acts (Acts 7). But if you begin to count from the birth of Isaac, concerning which Genesis (Gen 21) speaks, there are only four hundred five years. For twenty-five years elapsed between the promise made to Abraham and the birth of Isaac: for Abraham was seventy-five years old when he left his own country and the first promise was made to him, as is recorded in Genesis (Gen 12); and he was one hundred years old when Isaac was born, as is recorded in the same book (Gen 21). That there were four hundred five years between the birth of Isaac and the exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt is proved by the fact that Isaac was sixty years old when he begot Jacob, as is had in Genesis (Gen 25). Jacob, on the other hand, was one hundred thirty years old when he entered Egypt, as is recorded in Genesis (Gen 47). Therefore from the birth of Isaac to Jacob’s entry into Egypt were one hundred ninety years. Now Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, as is recorded in Genesis (Gen 41). After that there were seven years of plenty and two of want; and it was after that that Jacob came to Egypt, as is recorded in Genesis (Gen 45). But Joseph lived one hundred ten years, as is mentioned in the final chapter of Genesis. If thirty-nine years be subtracted from this there remain seventy-one years. Consequently from the birth of Isaac to Joseph’s death there were two hundred sixty-one years. Furthermore, the children of Israel remained in Egypt for one hundred forty-four more years after Joseph’s death, as Rabanus says in a Gloss on the Acts (Acts 7). Therefore from the birth of Isaac to the exodus from Egypt and the giving of the law four hundred five years elapsed. However, the Scripture in Genesis (Gen 17) was not concerned with minutiae. Vel potest dici, quod quinto anno Isaac expulsus fuit Ismael, et remansit solus Isaac haeres Abrahae, a quo tempore fuerunt quadringenti anni. Or it can be said that during Isaac’s fifth year Ishmael was cast forth, leaving Isaac the sole heir of Abraham. Reckoning from this date, we have our four hundred years. 161. Deinde, cum dicit nam si ex lege, etc., ostendit quomodo sequatur ex praemissis, quod lex evacuaret promissiones, si lex necessaria esset ad iustificationem sive benedictionem gentium. Dicit ergo: vere promissio evacuaretur si lex necessaria esset. Nam si haereditas, scilicet benedictionis Abrahae, esset ex lege, iam non esset ex repromissione, id est, ex semine repromisso Abrahae. Si enim semen promissum esset sufficiens ad haereditatem benedictionis consequendam, non fieret iustificatio per legem. 161. Then when he says, for, if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise, he shows how from the foregoing it follows that the law would nullify the promises, if the law were necessary for justification or for the blessing to come to the gentiles. He says therefore: the promise would indeed be disannulled, if the law were necessary; for if the inheritance, namely, of Abraham’s blessing, is of the law, it is no more of promise, i.e., of the seed promised to Abraham. For if the seed promised to Abraham was enough to obtain the inheritance of the blessing, there would not be justification through the law. Destruit autem consequens, cum dicit Abrahae autem donavit Deus, etc., id est, promisit se daturum, quod ita certum erat ac si statim daret, per repromissionem, id est per semen repromissum. Non ergo est ex lege haereditas, id est benedictio, de qua dicitur I Petr. III, 9: in hoc vocati estis, ut benedictionem haereditate possideatis. He rejects the consequent, when he says, but God gave it to Abraham, i.e., he promised that he would give it; but the promise was as sure as if it had been fulfilled then and there, by promise, i.e., through the seed promised. Therefore the inheritance, i.e., the blessing, about which it is said: for unto this you are called, that you may inherit a blessing (1 Pet 3:9), is not of the law. Lectio 7 Lecture 7 Lex mediatorem exspectat The law awaits the mediator ^3:19 Quid igitur lex? Propter transgressiones posita est donec veniret semen, cui promiserat, ordinata per angelos in manu mediatoris. [n. 162] ^3:19 Why then was the law? It was set because of transgressions, until the seed should come to whom he made the promise, being ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. [n. 162] ^3:20 Mediator autem unius non est: Deus autem unus est. [n. 169] ^3:20 Now a mediator is not of one: but God is one. [n. 169] 162. Postquam ostendit Apostolus et auctoritate Scripturae et consuetudine humana, quod lex iustificare non potuit, hic movet duas dubitationes et solvit. Secunda dubitatio incipit ibi lex ergo adversus promissa Dei, et cetera. 162. After showing by the authority of Scripture and by a human custom that the law was unable to make one just, the Apostle now raises two questions and solves them. The second question begins at was the law then against the promises of God (Gal 3:21).